Bunny Care
Indoor Housing - I strongly recommend that you house your rabbit indoors so that you can properly bond with your new pet. It also insures that your bunny is never too hot or too cold. I recommend a solid bottom cage that is no smaller than 36” long x 20” wide x 20” high. When it comes to buying your new bunny a house, bigger is always better! Unfortunately, a lot of cages and hutches listed for rabbits are not ideal and much too small; make sure you check dimensions before purchasing. 
Litter box training is ideal for an indoor rabbit as it will make your life easier for cleaning, keep unwanted smells at bay and will also keep your buns home tidy. All of our adult buns are litter box trained and all our babies have been introduced also. The babies will mostly be on their way to being litter box trained but it can still take time especially when adjusting to a new home (they will most likely mark new territory with urine and poo balls at first). I recommend using equine pine pellets or paper pellets in the litter box for absorption and odor control. You must NEVER use pine shavings or aspen bedding as these are toxic to rabbits. To encourage potty training I put their hay and food dish right on or right next to their litter box. Rabbits will go where they eat.
Outdoor Housing - If you must house your rabbit outdoors I do recommend purchasing a bunny elsewhere. Bunnies can live outdoors but far too often they are forgotten. Yes, they can survive but they will not thrive like they do in an indoor environment. Here at Littlest Lops Rabbitry, that is just not our goal or hope for one of our buns.
Exercise – Rabbits need more than just a cage or a hutch to be happy and thrive. They need exercise! It can be a small bunny proofe
d room, a blocked off area with baby gates or a small animal exercise pen. Please provide daily exercise of at least two hours, although more is better! If you let you bunny exercise outside please supervise. They are animals of prey and can easily be attacked by hawks, foxes, cats or dogs. Remember bunnies do not tolerate heat well so only when it is mild weather in a nice shady spot.
Feeding - I feed Sherwood Pet Health Adult pellets to rabbits 12 weeks and older and I feed Sherwood Pet Health Baby pellets for rabbits under 12 weeks. It is more expensive then most other rabbit pellets but I highly recommend it! My rabbits get ½ cup daily of pellets. All rabbits are different so you may find that your bunny needs more or less pellets to stay at a good weight. Rabbits also need an unlimited supply of Timothy or Orchard hay. Rabbits should have an unlimited supply of water. My rabbits exclusively use water bottles but some people prefer bowls. I have found that bowls tend to get dirty and/or are spilled easily and will need to be filled more than a few times a day. Bottles stay much cleaner and you can change the water every other day.
Treats - It is recommended to wait until 4 months of age, but preferably 6 months (when their digestive system has stopped developing), to start slowly introducing small amounts of fresh vegetabl
es and fruits. These should be considered treats as it causes poor digestion and if they are on high quality feed, then all of their nutritional needs are already being met. Make sure you introduce one vegetable or fruit item at a time and keep an eye on your rabbits poop. NEVER feed your bunny Iceburg lettuce as it contains lactucarium and in large quantities can be fatal. I have made a list of rabbit safe fruits and vegetables that you can choose from. Skip the rabbit treats you see in pet stores. The are not very nutritional and some even contain ingredients you should never feed a rabbit. Fresh is best!
Grooming - NEVER bathe a rabbit. It could be fatal. Rabbits clean themselves daily. I recommend brushing your rabbit weekly and clipping their nails every month.
Health – Rabbits are relatively low maintenance/cost as in they do not need regular vet visits such as dogs and cats. I do recommend that you at least research a rabbit savvy vet in case of an emergency. I also STRONGLY recommended that you spay or neuter your bunny around 5-6 months of age. At this age hormones kick in and they can become grumpy, a lot less affectionate and territorial. This wil
l help with litter box training, other negative habits and quite possibly extend the life expectancy of your bunny (un-bred females are prone to cancer).
Toys – Toys will help keep your rabbit physically active and prevent boredom. Rabbits are also notorious chewers! They chew to keep their teeth at a healthy length since rabbits teeth never stop growing. Make sure you provide plenty of rabbit safe toys that they can chew so they can stay healthy and happy and non-destructive! Some example are cardboard boxes or tubes, rattle balls (kitten toys), dried pine cones, grass mats or huts, willow branch balls, sea grass twists, balsa blocks and apple branches.
Recommended Supplies:
Cage or hutch - I personally love The Boomer & George Elevated Outdoor Rabbit Hutch. The largest size is 46L x 24W x 38H. It is very large and spacious, the wire flooring is removable (bad for your buns feet), has a ramp for easy access to climb in and out and is also very ascetically pleasing (think Joanna Gaines)! This hutch is made of wood and wire so if your bunny is a chewer make sure to provide plenty of toys! Although I have personally never used these cages, the Midwest Critter Nation and Homey Pet cages also come highly recommended.
Litter box - We use a Square Potty Trainer Litter Box. It is large enough for a full grown Holland Lop but small enough to not take up to much space. It’s very easy to clean! We change our litter boxes everyday to unsure no unpleasant odors in our home. We also have extras on hand for play spaces (depending on how large of an area it is) so I do recommend purchasing more than one.
Pine Pellet Bedding or Paper Pellet Litter - we use Natural Pine Pelletized Bedding which can be found for a great value at Tractor Supply. I have also used So Phresh Odor Control Paper Pellet Cat Litter. It is the same as the small animal litter but you can buy in a larger size for less money. I find it at Petco.
Food Bowl - I recommend one that attaches to the cage or hutch to avoid soiling and spillage. I personally use the You & Me Small Animal Lock Crock found at Petco. I always find it in stores but you can order it here:
Water Bottle/Bowl - I use Lixit 32 oz Small Animal Wide Mouth water bottle.
Hay Rack or Paper Towel Tubes (I cut into quarters and stuff hay in both ends) – I have also recently starting repurposing my Kcup boxes which are the perfect little vessel to feed hay out of. Hay is the mes
siest part of bunny ownership so whatever works best and creates the least amount of mess!
*Update* - My NEW litter box set up includes a plastic Tupperware container that I purchased from Target for $2.00. It is 11.8L x 11.8W x 3.6H / 6.3Qt (Brand is Ezy Storage). I put the hay in the front and then place the litter box in the box. I find this a wonderful set up for potty training, space saving and easy for mess free hay.
Timothy Hay or Orchard Hay – I recommend Small Pet Select 2nd Cutting Timothy Hay or Standlee Timothy Hay. I recently switched to the Standlee brand and have been very impressed with the quality and the box it is stored in. If you order in larger quantities, hay can last a while if it is stored in a cool dry place. Always make sure it smells fresh, is nice and green and has no signs of mold.
High Quality Pellets - All of our bunnies are fed Sherwood Forest which I believe is the best rabbit food you can buy. It is mostly hay based with no fillers (wheat or soy) leading to better digestion and a healthier, happier rabbit!
Toys - Wood chews, toilet paper rolls, plastic rattle balls. Our personally love cardboard boxes to dig at and to make tunnels out of!
Cage Liners or Mat/Bunny Bed – Our bunnies are spoiled and each has their own little bed to curl up in. I really like Kaytee Super Sleeper Cuddle-E-Cup for Small Animals. It’s a great size for a baby Holland Lop and also is thin enough to clean in the wash if it becomes soiled. For the adults I prefer fleece cage liner mats which can be purchased on Etsy.
Brush - We use the Small Pet Select HairBuster Comb. We typically brush our bunnies once a week but sometimes we will more frequently, such as when they are shedding their coat.
Nail Clippers - Small animal nail trimmers work great and are relatively cheaply priced. You want to trim your bunny’s nails every 1-2 months as needed. Be careful not to cut the pink “quick” and cause bleeding (flour or cornstarch works to stop any bleeding). If your bunny has dark nails, use a flashlight to see where the quick is inside the nail.
Pet Carrier – We use the 19’’ Midwest Homes for Pets Spree Travel Carrier. It is very reasonably priced and is the prefect size for a Holland Lop. It comes in three cute colors to choose from. You will need a carrier for picking up your new bunny friend, but I do find myself using them when bringing a rabbit outside for play. Rabbits naturally do not like to be picked up and carried around. I find this is the easiest, safest and least stressful way to transport my bunnies away from their hutch. When the times comes to spay or neuter this will be a necessity in order to bring bunny to the vet.
Exercise Pen – We primarily use them for outside play and with young bunnies until they get the hang of using the litter box and can be trusted to get free roam in a bunny proofed room. I would recommend one at least 30’’ high. I use the Midwest Exercise Pen that is 30'' high. A Little Tip: Check your local Facebook Marketplace or Yard Sale websites as I see them listed for sale for next to nothing all the time!